haiku no. 5

how slowly they climb
two mallards on hectic wings
hand-clapped from my pool

Do you recall that the Soprano's TV series began with [the scene of the ducks in Tony Soprano's swimming pool](tony soprano duck scene)? And that really set the table for the series, didn't it—Tony feeling such an emotional tug and attachment to the ducks, while regularly being sadistic with human beings.

Meanwhile, of course, there is the matter that of all the things that can be in a swimming pool, ducks are among the worst. It's potentially unhealthy for humans, bad for the pool equipment, and bad for the ducks.